Love Fruit Orchard (Yuanli Town Farmers' Association) Introduction
In Europe, tomatoes are known as "LOVE APPLE" because the mature tomato flowers bloom in pairs, their bright red fruits connected together like a couple in love, which is why they are given this romantic title. The greenhouse here primarily focuses on growing love apples, hence the name "Love Apple Orchard," hoping that this romantic name can bring a touch of romance and memories to visitors while promoting the orchard. The greenhouse design used in the Love Apple Orchard was specially selected from many types of greenhouses. Considering Taiwan's seasonal changes, typical greenhouses tend to accumulate heat in the summer, which can create difficulties for crops like tomatoes that are cultivated indoors. Therefore, when choosing the greenhouse design, it was essential to seek a structure that could reduce heat and facilitate ventilation, leading to the selection of a retractable roof structure. The roof is designed so that the entire plastic cover can be rolled up to the center of the pavilion, leaving only a fine mesh on top when retracted, preventing heat from accumulating indoors. The temperature difference between inside and outside remains around two degrees, and the installation of exhaust fans further ensures that any poor circulation of warm air inside can be quickly controlled. At the inception of the Love Apple Orchard's design, it was the first attempt at greenhouse cultivation, with hopes of achieving organic farming ideals. However, it was discovered that while the greenhouse environment could isolate many pests, it couldn't prevent the occurrence of toxic diseases, resulting in considerable losses during initial cultivation. Fortunately, our instructor Zheng Nian-Jun has worked diligently in this regard, constantly visiting and learning greenhouse farming techniques to strengthen the cultivation experience at Love Apple Orchard. I still remember that the first year of managing the orchard was extremely challenging; technical skills were not yet refined, and there was little recognition from colleagues. Additionally, I had to endure criticism at representative meetings for setting up such a loss-making business, which really felt like adding insult to injury. Fortunately, to this day, the Love Apple Orchard is already profitable enough to cover the orchard's management and operations, and the years of hard work have finally yielded some achievements. Currently, in addition to agrotourism fruit picking, the marketing of Love Apple Orchard's products also collaborates with several organic health stores, supplying organic specialty shops in Taichung and nearby areas, as no pesticides are used during the fruit picking season. Moreover, the romantic name "Love Apple Orchard" and the refreshing fruit-picking experience have already made it one of the most well-known representatives of leisure agriculture in the central region, ideal for group outings and family activities involving three generations. The greenhouse cultivation and fruit-picking experience at Love Apple Orchard have also become the best venue for outdoor teaching in agricultural experiences for many kindergartens and elementary schools. We welcome everyone to come and experience it in person!
